Sister Serena (Alberta) Downs, ASC, celebrated 65 years as a vowed member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ on July 1, 2025, in the chapel of Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville, IL. She made her first profession July 1, 1960, and her final vows on July 1, 1965. She marked her anniversary with the Eucharist and a reception with the ASC community.
Sister Serena was born in East St. Louis, IL, to Albert and Mathilda (Wuller) Downs. She received her bachelor’s degree in Geography and Education from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO, in 1970, and her master’s in special education with an emphasis on Learning Disability/Behavior Disorder from the University of Missouri in St. Louis in 1983.
Sister Serena’s ministry in teaching and Child Care spanned nearly 50 years. She taught at St. Mary in Salem, Saints Peter and Paul in Waterloo, St. Mary in Chester, Sacred Heart in Dupo, and St. Patrick in East St. Louis, all in Illinois. She served as both teacher and principal at St. Wenceslaus in St. Louis, and as principal at Sacred Heart in Festus, MO.
With a focus on Special Education, she served as Child Care Supervisor at Guardian Angel Settlement Association in St. Louis for 15 years.
Following her years in many levels of childcare, Sr. Serena served for several years as a receptionist for Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry in St. Louis.
Well-known and highly regarded as a maker of desserts, she volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul Society in East St. Louis as a cookie-baker. She has also chaired the ASC Charitable Giving Committee for several terms. Sister Serena currently resides in St. Louis.